President’s budget update

The following message was sent from President Mark B. Rosenberg to the university community on March 17, 2010:

Dear members of the university community:

Our legislators in Tallahassee are working through the third week of session. In the context of very limited resources, they are clearly cognizant of our importance, even if there is little good news to share at this point.

Given the projected $3 billion budget shortfall, it is likely that the universities will sustain some cuts again this year. In addition, it is likely that tuition will be increased.

At the moment, we estimate reductions of between 1 and 7 percent depending on whether we look at the Senate or the House budget proposal.

Both budgets provide for an 8 percent across-the-board tuition increase and funding for the two new colleges of medicine at FIU and UCF. Both proposed budgets also include a second year of federal stimulus funds for universities.

The next two weeks will be pivotal, given that the plan is to bring a budget bill to the floor of the House and Senate during the last week of March.

For us at FIU, the proposals as currently stated present manageable challenges. We will continue to rely on our rolling three-year plan and prepare to make the strategic cuts already planned for this year. It is possible that we will not have to make significant additional cuts but it is still early to tell, given the variable nature of the process.

Over the last few weeks I have had three rounds of meetings with our legislators in Tallahassee, including during FIU Day and again earlier this week. The FIU team – students, faculty, alumni and friends of the university, in addition to our lobbyists – continues to impress upon our lawmakers the importance of FIU to the residents of the South Florida community in terms of access to higher education and the potential we have as an institution to serve as an economic engine.

I also continue to work closely with our federal relations team in Washington to gain access to new sources of funding that will make it possible for us to continue to pursue research and other activities on the global stage. During a trip to Washington earlier this week, for example, we met with members of Congress and agency representatives about opportunities in the area of disaster preparedness and Haiti recovery.

I plan to continue these periodic budget updates in an effort to keep every member of the community informed about the financial forces that shape our future. Please mark your calendar for 10 a.m. on April 12, 2010, when we will have our first budget forum in the Graham Center Ballrooms.

In the interim, you may find additional information about how the legislative session may impact FIU by visiting the Governmental Relations page.

Thank you for your continued support and hard work.

Mark B. Rosenberg
President